Today I saw a white feather floating down over my head in Times Square. Anyone who has visited New York, knows that this area is full of people and usually very loud, crazy and more than a little dirty! (…especially in the summertime) It was such a magical moment and I took a mini-break from my busy day to observe its presence.

When I see a feather, it makes me think that someone above is watching over me and always brings a smile to my face knowing that I’m not alone in any given moment. It’s easy to become so absorbed in our days and lives, that we never look up to see the beauty and magic in the world. Nature is always communicating with us, reminding us that we are connected to each other, as well as, a higher source of guidance. Feathers can remind to you be “light” in your heart and to see the “light” in your everyday surroundings.

Practice the art of being “light as a feather” in your day, see what happens to your own heart. ♥

How many times in life do you find yourself praying and hoping for a dream to be fulfilled? You find yourself lost in the thought of how you are going to achieve this dream. You know, the strategy… you try to work it!

“If I did this or I acted this way, if I was available or not available, if I followed up or didn’t follow up…” the list goes on and on depending on the outcome your are trying to achieve. What I notice about all this strategy is an element of control. We try to control the situation and affect it to achieve the outcome that is the most desirable for us. There it is, the problem… control.

Notice how you feel in your body when you are trying to control a situation. For me, my neck and jaw are the truth. If my neck is killing me and my jaw hurts, you better believe that I’m trying to control a situation. I’m laughing just thinking about this! It’s so obvious…

Believing in a power greater than yourself requires a willingness to release control and have faith that the events in your life are unfolding for your greater good…

Practice adding those three words to your daily meditations. Notice how you feel when you hope for something that is for your greater good. For me, it’s a well of peace. Experience it for yourself. ♥

Yesterday, I spent the entire afternoon at one of my favorite places in the world… the BEACH! It was just a beautiful day. There was a slight breeze, the water was warm and crystal clear, the sky was blue, the waves were gentle… You can visualize the day, right? It was heaven on earth.

When I spend time at the beach, I always observe the beauty that is evident all around me. Yesterday, I became engrossed with picking up beach rocks, not shells, the rocks! What a day it was for my search. I found so much variety. There were all shapes, sizes, colors, textures, you name it. Each one was more beautiful than the next. While some were pure in color, they had beautiful shapes. Others were expertly colored and textured. The sizes ranged from tiny to enormous… can you see where I’m going with this?

As I walked along picking them up for my collection, I was struck by how much these rocks reminded me of people. Each one was so unique and a complete masterpiece, just the way people are. Mother Nature has the most diverse palette and she paints each of us expertly. It’s our job to recognize uniqueness and beauty in each other.

Try looking at your brothers and sisters of the world with a different lens. Can you see the masterpiece in front of you? Acknowledge them with wonder and love. ♥

I read this great quote the other day about influence, “the key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”, by Kenneth Blanchard. It is a thought provoking quote. I’m assuming the author is speaking of business relationships, but what about your personal circle of influence?

My wheels are turning at this thought… Webster’s defines the verb form of influence as: the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways. What I like about this definition is the use of the word intangible. It’s not something we can touch, but it effects us just the same. So many things influence us in our daily lives. Imagine writing down every possible way we are influenced throughout our day. I think you would need a lot of paper!

There are both good and bad influences. Most importantly, people are influencers. The people you surround yourself with can change you and it’s not always positive or apparent immediately. It can be cumulatively destructive.

I like to surround myself with people who are better than me, not in the material sense, but the spiritual sense. They carry good energy. I can learn from them and they influence me, just by being themselves in the world. I have grown so much in my life by having them around and I am grateful for their gift of friendship and love.

Think about your circle of influence. How do you influence others? How are you influenced? Make your circle a beautiful ball of light that is both lifting and lifted in your world. ♥

Like this:

This a line from Lifetime, by the artist Maxwell. He’s got the most soothing voice, honestly, he could sing the phone book and I would like it! Every time I hear this song, that phrase catches my attention. Love is not a fairy tale in a melody…

The words themselves are very beautiful, because they are so honest. They speak directly to the concept a lot of us have that love is a fairy tale. Most of us are raised reading fairy tales as bed time stories. There is always a prince charming or princess of some kind. There is usually a tragedy involved, and some how the prince comes to rescue the princess. All the while, there are birds chirping and flowers blooming, amidst a sweet melody in the background. It’s no wonder our concept of love is sorely tested when it actually appears in our real life.

Real life love is lot more rigorous and it requires an effort. It comes in disguise and often times is discovered, rather than just apparent. It has shadows and dark places that push boundaries. It makes you weak and strong at the same time. Living a life in love is probably the hardest job any of us will ever have, but it’s so worth it…. Love is the greatest gift we can give or receive, just like the words of a beautiful melody. ♥

The Don’t Quit poem is one of my favorites. In my family the saying was ” a quitter never wins, and a winner never quits”. There are times in life where you can feel pretty defeated. You probably ask yourself, how did I get here? Then, you review all the little decisions or non-decisions from your past. Now, you are really swimming in the defeat and you feel hopeless.

The challenge you face might seem insurmountable, but you must KEEP GOING. As the poem states, “success is failure turned inside out”. You never know what is around the corner. It might be the best moment of your life!

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

John Mayer lays it right out there, “Say what you need to say … even if your hands are shaking…or your faith is broken…”

What would you say if you had no limits? Who would you say it to? Would it be someone you love or maybe yourself? When you say what you need to say from your heart, the world begins to sparkle. You see events, people, and nature as you’ve never seen them before. Your heart will swell with all the beauty surrounding you. You will be free in your own mind. Love will swallow your heart and make you glow. Instead of existing in this world, you begin to LIVE!

All the joy, love and life that you have been wishing for is in front of you. DEVOUR IT! Just say what you need to say…

You know about fear, right? It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know what you must do, but haven’t started the action. You hear the little voice inside sometimes in a whisper, sometimes in a scream, but always begging to be heard. Fear makes you want to turn the volume down on this voice. You want to run from it or bury it. You see the picture I’m painting…

What we don’t explore is what’s on the other side of fear. Facing a fear can be TRANSFORMATIONAL! Stepping in to fear takes courage, but the payoff on the other side is so worthwhile. Each time you face a fear, whether it is big or small, you build a little more strength and courage. You stand a little taller, smile a little brighter, walk a little lighter…you evolve as a person. ♥

So, the next time FEAR is staring you down or screaming in your ear, how are you going to answer it?

I had the pleasure of attending a women’s healing circle on Friday night. We met to share fellowship and gather strength from each other as we enter the holiday season. The guest speaker for the night was a student of Buddhism and teaches meditation to the community. She gave us many insights and tools for coping with our holiday schedules and relationships. It was a wonderful night where complete strangers came to know each other as friends by gathering in a circle and sharing our thoughts about life.

One of the most powerful meditations we practiced that night was to see each other not just as women, but to see each other as the light of the universe, in the form of a woman. So, through the meditation, we gazed around the circle, acknowledging this light in each other. It was so beautiful and moving.

I started to think aboutwhat it would be like to look for this light in each person you encounter through your day. What kind of vision do you need to be able to see this light? I don’t think its anything special. It’s just a practice of looking for the beauty and light in someone before you see the other stuff. You are recognizing something in them that comes from a much deeper place. When you acknowledge this light in them, you see that the two of you are really connected by the same source. It’s a great experiment. In this way, we see that we are all brothers and sisters of a larger universal family. ♥

Try this experiment for yourself. How does it make you feel to see this beautiful light in a total stranger? What kind of light do you see in yourself?

Yesterday as I was rushing down the sidewalk to meet a friend for lunch, I noticed my shadow! I had my iphone in hand and was taking photos of the leaves. They are finally changing colors and I was happy to see them in all their glory. Seeing my shadow on the sidewalk made me think about what our shadows say about us. Obviously, they change in different clothing, light, and actions, but what can you determine about yourself from investigating your shadow…

So, looking at the shadow you see here, what do you think about this woman? I was immediately struck by her foundation. It is broad and strong. She is sturdy. She looks as if she could easily withstand a hurricane or earthquake. Her handbag is also big! She must be carrying the world in that thing. It also looks like she is prepared. You just know that inside this bag there is bound to be anything required to remedy a crisis. Her arms are strong. They are not only carrying this giant bag, but they are propelling her forward in life. They are “can do” arms, capable and trustworthy. Last, I see her head and hair. It has movement. One side seems to be flying backward in the breeze, while the other side is seductively curling under. She is relaxed in the breeze and feminine at the same time.

Going a step further, I realize that I have just described myself and it makes me laugh! It am absolutely sturdy. My frame is built to withstand storms. I always carry the biggest handbag. It does contain everything under the sun. It supplies me and anyone around with life’s little necessities. My arms are also strong and capable. Believe me, many times I’ve asked why do I have such big arms…now I know that they are what’s pushing me forward in life. Finally, the head is absolutely me. I am feminine and I do appreciate the carefree moments in life. Who knew we could gain so much insight just by examining our shadows!

What kind of shadow do you cast? Try this experiment with your own shadow, you can give me the details later. What do you see? ♥